Palaeosurfaces: Recognition, Reconstruction And... Apr 2026

: The presence of ancient soil profiles is a primary indicator of a subaerially exposed surface. These soils can range from simple exposure surfaces to complex, polyphase profiles that record long-term landscape stability.

The study of —ancient landscapes preserved within the rock record—serves as a critical bridge between geology and geomorphology. These surfaces provide a spatial and temporal framework for understanding how tectonic processes and environmental changes have shaped the Earth's face over millions of years. Recognition of Palaeosurfaces Palaeosurfaces: Recognition, Reconstruction and...

: Palaeosurfaces frequently mark significant hiatuses in deposition, often representing fundamental shifts in environmental conditions or tectonic stability. : The presence of ancient soil profiles is

: High-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) can be constructed by integrating LiDAR data with geological and historical information to map past valley floors and floodplains. These surfaces provide a spatial and temporal framework

: For more recent Holocene surfaces, researchers use coring and electrical resistivity tomography to identify flood-safe locations, such as Pleistocene sand mounds (Geziras), that influenced human settlement patterns.

Identifying an ancient surface requires distinguishing it from modern landforms and recognizing it as a "horizon of demonstrable antiquity". Recognition often relies on several key indicators:

Reconstructing these ancient landscapes involves piecing together fragmented geological data to build a coherent model of the past topography: